Gun violence has long been a pressing issue in Alabama and recent events such as the tragic shooting at Tuskegee University have reignited urgent calls for action.

In response, leaders, advocates and community groups are coming together to rethink how the state can address the crisis. Instead of focusing solely on crime statistics, they are pushing for solutions rooted in prevention, equity and community healing; efforts challenging the status quo and prioritizing lasting change.

Leroy Maxwell Jr., managing partner of the Maxwell Tillman Law Firm, highlighted the need to examine policies governing firearm access and use. He said current legislation in the state makes it too easy for dangerous weapons to circulate.

"Try to enact counter legislation that's reasonable and sensible," Maxwell urged. "The idea that someone in this state can have a silencer, where the only point of it is to sneak up behind someone and kill them, there's no sort of self-defense value to it."

The latest data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show Alabama had the 12th-highest gun death rate among Black people in the country in 2022. Advocates made clear legislative reform is just one part of the solution, emphasizing the need for smarter laws to reduce harm without creating unintended consequences.

Legislation, however, is only part of the puzzle.

Jacques Austin, a licensed counselor for the group Brother Let's Talk, said addressing emotional and mental health challenges is equally important. He explained how communities often struggle to process grief and conflict constructively, which can escalate tensions and violence over time.

"When emotions run high and there are no resources to help people process them like counseling or community education, communication can break down," Austin explained. "Instead of open, empathetic dialogue, people may communicate defensively or aggressively."

Uche Bean, director of community safety initiatives for the City of Birmingham, believes when it comes to addressing gun violence, creating safe communities starts with treating it as a public health crisis. She said breaking cycles of violence requires intentional investment in community.

"The comprehensive approach is not just focused on overall crime, it's community safety," Bean emphasized. "It is making sure that in every instance of these cycles of violence that we're providing support, resources and funding."

Bean added public safety is not just about enforcement, it is about intervening to stop violence before it starts.


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A new arts event, "Art of Democracy: Resiliency Impacted," is showcasing regional artists' work on democracy as the presidential election nears. The exhibition series highlights reproductive freedom, gun violence, and artists' roles in advocating for change. The show has partnered with CeaseFirePA.

Josh Fleitman, campaign director for CeaseFirePA, explains his organization focuses on state-level gun-violence prevention, while also supporting grassroots efforts to amplify citizens' voices.

"We work with a lot of community violence-intervention organizations, groups that do violence interruptions, street outreach work, hospital-based violence intervention work, groups that do work on the ground to prevent gun violence," he said. "We work with a lot of gun-violence survivors, and that's the event we're doing this week, is lifting up their stories."

Pennsylvania saw a 16% drop in homicides, compared with 13% nationally, with 29 of the state's 67 counties reporting declines. In September, Gov. Josh Shapiro signed an executive order re-establishing the Pennsylvania Office of Gun Violence Prevention within the state's Commission on Crime and Delinquency.

Rebecca Susman, communications and development director with Keystone Progress Education Fund, said the Art of Democracy exhibition series will explore what a healthy democracy looks like, encouraging broader discussions on the topic, in collaboration with Casey Droege Cultural Productions.

At the Resiliency Impacted event, she explained, Pennsylvanians will have the opportunity to register to vote before the deadline next Monday.

"The idea is both to bring awareness to issues and also to connect that with the importance of voting, and so at the shows, we have voter registration," Susman explained. "We have voter plan cards that people can fill out in order to ensure that you know whether they're voting in person. You know that they know where their polling location is."

Jillian Daniels, independent curator of the Resiliency Impacted exhibition, said it highlights the widespread effects of gun violence in Pennsylvania, including the city of Indiana. Her goal is to convey that lives lost to gun violence are preventable, regardless of political views. The exhibition centers on understanding the lives affected and the broader context of gun culture today.

"Come visit 'Resiliency Impacted' and really sit with the artwork and the calculable yet immeasurable loss of life, and how we can take proactive steps to demanding better from the folks that we have tasked in this electoral system with our safety and our notions of protection," she said.

Today from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. is the screening and discussion for "The Art of Democracy: Resiliency Impacted" at The Fox Clark Gallery in Indiana, Penn. The monthlong exhibition will be on display through Sunday. Another Art of Democracy exhibition is currently open at Brew House Arts in Pittsburgh through Nov. 2.

Wyoming lawmakers are discussing gun legislation, after Gov. Mark Gordon vetoed a bill which would have repealed "gun free zones" this spring.

The bill would have made concealed weapons legal in more places, including the Capitol, universities and grade school campuses, where school districts currently make the rules.

Annie Griffin, superintendent of Washakie County School District #2, where teachers have been allowed concealed carry for seven years, told the Joint Judiciary Committee the rule creates challenges with hiring, permit-pulling and enforcement with adults from outside the district, at sporting events, for example.

"Unfortunately, I can tell you of many events of verbal abuse, of violence from children in the classroom," Griffin testified. "I don't think people fully understand the volatility that can go on in schools."

After the bill passed both chambers, Gov. Gordon vetoed it, saying he is a "fervent supporter" of the Second Amendment but the bill lacked "sufficient review and debate." Its sponsor, Rep. Jeremy Haroldson, R-Wheatland, said he will introduce a similar bill next session.

Sen. Wendy Schuler, R-Evanston, said the decision on what is allowed should be left to school districts but noted the districts have not been included in the discussion.

"We talk a lot about local control and we talk about how important that is," Schuler pointed out. "And I don't think we've really brought our educational folks to the table throughout this whole process."

The University of Wyoming's Board of Trustees will discuss how the university will approach concealed carry at a meeting this week.

Proponents of repealing gun-free zones said such zones are more vulnerable to violent crime. But a new study showed gun-free zones may "be protective against active shootings."

When a citizen cited the research during public comment, Rep. Mark Jennings, R-Sheridan, said the right to bear arms is "God-given."

"As I think about studies, I think, boy, how important it is that we don't do our governing by studies," Jennings asserted.


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A new initiative for single mothers and their sons is helping to combat crime and empower vulnerable community members in Jackson.

The nonprofit Operation Good, made up of people who used to be in prison, said it has helped to significantly lower crime rates in the areas it serves. In one neighborhood, the rate dropped from 87% to 14%.

Fredrick Womack, founder and executive director of Operation Good, said the goal is to find the root causes of violence in Jackson. They are doing family interventions and collaborating with single moms and high-risk youth to prevent violent crimes.

"To change the mindset of the high-risk participant and also give them in a better place in life, get the mothers in a better place in life," Womack explained. "Data here show that over 52% of the children are born into unwed families; 77% of those are single moms."

The Mississippi Department of Public Safety aims to reduce violent crime by 5% using federal grants. However, Womack pointed out Mississippi received American Rescue Plan Act funds and 20% of the money was supposed to be allocated to community organizations for public safety and violence prevention. He noted Mississippi used the money instead to create a Capitol Police Department.

For Operation Good, community engagement also includes providing food, educational and mentoring resources to families. They host monthly events. The most recent was a block party and the next will be a community symposium on Sept. 26, where victims of violent crime will discuss prevention.

"We're doing a gun violence event with the hospitals and researchers and talk dealing with those who have been a victim of gun violence, you know, who have been shot," Womack outlined. "We're having a symposium with them, to try to let them know there are resources available."

According to the Marshall Project, Jackson has a curfew restricting young people from being out past 10 p.m. on weekdays and midnight on weekends. The ordinance is set to expire in January 2025. In the meantime, city officials hope engagement centers also offer a safe haven for children.


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